This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 with respect to German Application No. P 199 35 469.3, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention generally relates to bearing plates and bearing arrangements. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a bearing arrangement that includes a bearing plate having at least one indentation in which is disposed a bearing, and a method for securing at least one bearing in a bearing plate.
A bearing arrangement and a method for securing a bearing in a bearing plate are known from German Patent Disclosure DE 198 05 237. This document describes introducing bearings into a bearing receptacle that is created by deep drawing a sheet-metal base to form indentations. Radial fixation of the bearing is achieved by way of such indentations.
If, for example, two parallel-extending shafts in a transmission must have quite a tight spacing from one another, it may be necessary for the respective shaft bearings to be brought close enough together that a figure eight contour is formed in the bearing plate carrying the bearing. At least part of the reason is because there is no longer enough room for the outer rings of the various bearings to be completely surrounded.
In the previously known bearing arrangement, the two bearings which must be disposed quite close together are inserted into the deep-drawn seat faces in the bearing plate. To then axially fix the bearings in the bearing plate, the bearing plate is plastically deformed in the context of a caulking operation so that axial motion of the bearings is inhibited. Under especially heavy loads in operation, however, the outer bearing rings can come loose from their seat faces in the bearing plate. This is due at least in part to the squeezing that occurs during operation and is propagated from the shafts to the bearings. This can gradually lead to loosening of the axial fixation of the outer bearing rings.
In principle, other possibilities are conceivable for attaining an axial fixation of the bearings in a bearing plate. This can be done by welding or soldering, for instance. However, it has been experimentally found that in order to produce the required degree of durability and precision of the bearing fixation on the one hand and to make the method economical on the other hand, the difficult problem of burr migration has to be addressed.
In light of the foregoing, a need exists for a method and a bearing arrangement that make possible the reliable axial fixation of the bearings in a bearing plate, without a significant degree of effort, and hence expense.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for securing at least one bearing in a bearing plate involves at least partially swaging at least one positioning face on the bearing plate for precisely positioning a retaining baffle. The retaining baffle is then placed against the swaged positioning face in a position such that in later operation of the bearing, the retaining baffle exerts an axial force on a part of the bearing. The retaining baffle is then preferably material bonded to the bearing plate.
It has been found that the present invention provides a very good compromise between production costs on the one hand and precision and durability of the bearing arrangement on the other. By using a swaging operation that is preferably carried out together with the deep drawing of the indentations of the bearing plate, a defined contact face for the retaining baffle is created, Thus, relatively high precision for the fixation of the bearing is attainable. Because of the swaged positioning face, the retaining baffle can be placed and held in a very simple way while being fixed to the bearing plate by material bonding. Preferably, the positioning of the retaining baffle for the sake of exerting an axial force on a part of the bearing in later operation of the bearing is effected such that the retaining baffle is subjected to a predetermined force F during the fixation of the retaining baffle to the bearing plate in the axial direction of the bearing. The retaining baffle is thus fixed in a prestressed fashion, and therefore extremely long durability and excellent fixation of the bearing in the bearing plate can be attained.
It is preferable that before positioning the retaining baffle and material bonding the retaining baffle to the bearing plate, the bearing is also axially fixed relative to the bearing plate by plastic deformation, preferably by caulking a subregion of the bearing plate. The axial fixation of the bearing can be further improved by proceeding in this way.
It is also preferable that the material bonding be carried out by welding, for example through use of a laser welding method or an electron-beam welding method. As an alternative, the material bonding can be accomplished indirectly via an additional material introduced into a gap between the bearing plate and the retaining baffle, with the material bonding being performed by soldering or adhesive bonding.
The bearing arrangement in accordance with another aspect of the present invention includes a bearing plate and a retaining baffle, with the bearing plate having at least one partially swaged positioning face for relatively precisely positioning the retaining baffle. The retaining baffle is pressed against the positioning face and is materially bonded to the bearing plate. The retaining baffle is positioned such that in later operation of the bearing the retaining baffle exerts an axial force on a part of the bearing.
According to a preferred form of the invention, the bearing is positively joined to the bearing plate by plastic deformation, preferably by caulking, of a subregion of the bearing plate in the axial direction. The material bond between the retaining baffle and the bearing plate is preferably accomplished by welding, preferably laser welding or electron-beam welding. Alternatively, the retaining baffle can also be soldered or adhesively bonded to the bearing plate. The retaining baffle is also preferably formed in such a way that its underside presses on a part of the side region of the outer ring of the bearing.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a bearing arrangement includes a bearing plate provided with at least one recessed region in which is positioned a bearing, with the bearing plate being provided with a positioning face surrounding at least a portion of the recessed region, and a retaining baffle fixed to the bearing plate in overlying relation to the bearing.